Undergraduate Intern - Mechanical Engineering (Process)

Full Job Description

The King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks (DNRP) Wastewater Treatment Division (WTD) seeks a 2026 Summer Mechanical Engineering Intern.

Our internship is for active students only. To be eligible for this internship, you must be enrolled in a college, or university program for the duration of your internship. For example, if you are graduating from a college or university in June 2026 and are not enrolled for a fall 2026 academic program, you are not eligible for internship but rather highly encouraged to apply for our entry-level job openings.

Please visit Wastewater Treatment Division website: Undergraduate and Graduate Internship Program - King County, Washington

The King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks (DNRP) Wastewater Treatment Division (WTD) seeks a 2026 Summer Mechanical Engineering (Process) intern to assist engineers with projects to build or improve wastewater treatment facilities.

Spend your summer with an organization that contributes to public health by cleaning water, is deeply committed to environmental stewardship, values diversity, and works in service to the community!

WTD interns create real value for our projects, programs, and agency while getting real world job experience, networking opportunities, and learning about water systems.

Summer interns join a group of their peers to take trainings, tour job sites, develop job skills, and complete their own projects.

WTD engineering interns are involved in several projects, often across multiple facilities. This enables our interns to get exposure to an array of different work that wastewater engineers do.

This position has the potential to extend part-time into the subsequent academic year depending on mutual interest and compliance with academic enrollment requirements.

About the Role:

The primary function of the Mechanical Engineering Intern role will learn how WTD engineers put together guidelines and standards, verify equipment installation and grow in understanding of the wastewater treatment process.

This team sits within the Engineering Unit, which provides engineering support to capital projects.

The Mechanical Engineering Interns in this position typically work on multiple projects throughout the summer, the specifics of which are determined closer to the start of employment.

Interns may be asked to perform a variety of tasks with the guidance of experienced engineers, such as the following typical tasks:

• Generating or correcting drawings to match as-built conditions

• Identifying treatment process requirements

• Selecting and specifying equipment

• Testing water chemistry

• Modelling behavior of hydraulic systems

Interns will visit various Wastewater Treatment Division facilities as part of work assignments and learning opportunities.

These will include visits to treatment plants, pump stations, regulator stations, and Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO). Some of these may be active construction sites and/or operating facilities.

WTD protects public health and enhances the environment by collecting and treating wastewater while recycling valuable resources for the Puget Sound region.

WTD interns create real value for our projects, programs, and agency while getting real world job experience, networking opportunities, and learning about water systems.

Summer interns join a group of their peers to take trainings, tour job sites, develop job skills, and complete their own projects.

At summer’s ends, interns present their projects to an audience of staff and hiring managers. Interns get exposure to careers and opportunities they might not have imagined before.

Participants have used their internships to acquire jobs at WTD and elsewhere in King County, their university, and elsewhere the public and private sectors.

Our regional wastewater treatment system has a big job.

Not only does it operate around the clock to sustain a healthy environment, this vital infrastructure also supports economic development that enables our region to thrive.

King County is committed to recovering and reusing products from the wastewater treatment process.

Beneficially recycling the treated water and nutrient-rich biosolids and recovering energy from waste gases increases the efficiency of our wastewater treatment plants, conserves resources, protects the environment, and saves money.

About the Team:
The Mechanical Engineering (Process) staff help our agency collect, convey, and treat sewage more efficiently to clean and conserve one of life’s most valuable resources… water! Our engineers work in service of WTD’s mission to protect public health and the environment by collecting and cleaning wastewater while recovering valuable resources for a thriving Puget Sound region.

Commitment to Equity, Racial and Social Justice:
King County, named after Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., is a diverse and vibrant community that represents cultures from around the world. Our True North is to create a welcoming community where everyone can thrive. We prioritize equity, racial and social justice, making it a foundational and daily expectation for all employees. As a Mechanical Engineering Intern, you will actively apply these principles in all aspects of your work. Learn more about our commitment at http://www.kingcounty.gov/equity.

Apply now for a rewarding career at the Wastewater Treatment Division of King County Department of Natural Resources & Parks (DNRP). Join our talented workforce in protecting and restoring the natural environment and promoting more resilient, sustainable, and equitable communities.

Requirements

What You Will Be Doing:

• Investigate issues in wastewater conveyance and treatment systems

• Develop solutions for complex problems

• Assist WTD engineers with treatment and conveyance projects

• Generate reports, drawings, and specifications

Qualifications

Qualifications You Bring:
This internship would be ideal for students with a focus of academic studies in mechanical engineering or chemical engineering or any with interest and applicable skills / experience.

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including editing.
• Organizational skills and the ability to meet deadlines.
• Ability to effectively use Microsoft Office products.
• Detail-oriented and self-starter
• Interest in current events, local government, and environmental issues.
• Ability to work independently.
• Creative problem solving.

Competencies You Bring:

• Collaborates: Building partnerships and working collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives.
• Communicates Effectively - Developing and delivering multi-mode communications that convey a clear understanding of the unique needs of different audiences.
• Nimble Learning - Actively learning through experimentation when tackling new problems, using both successes and failures as learning fodder.
• Tech Savvy - Anticipating and adopting innovations in business-building digital and technology applications.
• Action Oriented - Taking on new opportunities and tough challenges with a sense of urgency, high energy, and enthusiasm.

Required Licenses/Certifications:

• Washington State Driver’s License

It Would Be Great if You Also Bring:

• The degree program the intern is enrolled in is accredited by ABET.
• Engineer In Training (E.I.T.)
• Experience or coursework involving fluid dynamics, pump systems, piping & valve systems, and/or construction

Additional Information

To apply, submit a:

• Complete Application
• Resume
• Optional Cover Letter (will be reviewed if submitted)
• Responses to the supplemental questions

Discover More About the Wastewater Treatment Division: Visit our website and check us out at Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, YouTube, and the WTD Blog.

Discover More About DNRP: Visit our DNRP website, explore an interactive map of our recent accomplishments and check us out at Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and Keeping King County Green News.

Sign up for Job Alerts to be notified of additional career opportunities with King County. Select the Natural Resourcescategory for DNRP opportunities and explore other categories of interest.

Forbes named King County as one of Washington State's best employers.

Together, with leadership and our employees, we're changing the way government delivers service and winning national recognition as a model of excellence. Are you ready to make a difference? Come join the team dedicated to serving one of the nation's best places to live, work and play.

Guided by our "True North", we are making King County a welcoming community where every person can thrive. We value diversity, inclusion and belonging in our workplace and workforce. To reach this goal we are committed to workforce equity. Equitable recruiting, support, and retention is how we will obtain the highest quality workforce in our region; a workforce that shares and will help advance our guiding principles - we are one team; we solve problems; we focus on the customer; we drive for results; we are racially just; we respect all people; we lead the way; and we are responsible stewards. We encourage people of all backgrounds and identities to apply, including Native American and people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ+, people living with disabilities, and veterans.

King County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer

No person is unlawfully excluded from employment opportunities based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation and pregnancy), age, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or other protected class.

Our EEO policy applies to all employment actions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, selection for training, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation.

To Apply

If you are interested in pursuing this position, please follow the application instructions carefully.

If you need this announcement in an alternate language or format, would like to request accommodation or assistance in the application or assessment process or if you have questions please contact the recruiter listed on this job announcement.